By Oyinkansayo Wole-Bodunde.
Taraba State University has been brought to a hold as the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) has embarked on an indefinite strike.
This decision was made in response to the university management and state government’s inadequate attention to their long-overdue demands.
In a press statement released yesterday, SSANU’s state chairman, Bitrus Joseph Ajibauka, announced the withdrawal of their services, citing the university management and state government’s attitudes towards their demands. The statement read: “This is to notify the general public that the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) Taraba State University Branch has from today commenced a total comprehensive and indefinite strike action. We have withdrawn our services to the Taraba State University, pending when our demands are addressed.”
The union noted that it has been neglected and left out by the university’s management and the state government for failing to address their numerous challenges. The statement highlighted several demands, including: “The Outstanding salary /Allowances, Unpaid full salaries of September 2022, Unpaid full salaries of October 2022, the Withheld 28% of June 2022 salary balance, the Withheld 51% of November 2022 salary balance and the Withheld 44% of December 2022 salary balance, The promotion arrears balance of 2016 to 2020 promotion arrears, The lack of pension scheme, The Contributory Pension scheme of the university since its inception in 2008 to date, is against the provision of the Pension Act and is a threat to the future and job security of our members, The dissolution of the Taraba State University Governing Council by the Visitor Dr Agbu Kefas, on the 1st June 2023 is affecting the performance of the University because the University is now operating without Council.”
The union expressed frustration over the university’s failure to implement the new national minimum wage of N70,000, as well as the N35,000 wage award per month approved by President Bola Tinubu. They noted that the university is still using the outdated N18,000 National Minimum Wage Bill of December 8, 2009, which was implemented in April 2010.
The statement also highlighted the non-payment of the balance of earned administrative allowances (EAA) for non-teaching staff from 2009 to 2013. It would be recalled that the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) had earlier embarked on an indefinite strike, citing unresolved welfare and institutional challenges, including the deaths of three of their members, which they attributed to the state government’s lukewarm attitude towards their demands.
